


Sailor's Delight

by akapolarbear



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Developing Relationship, F/F, Sailor AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-02 00:35:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6543271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akapolarbear/pseuds/akapolarbear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max was nine years old when she met a young shipmate who just happened to be in port for a few days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back, with more Pricefield AUs that no one asked for. If you're sick of me...blame Love is Strange.

When Max was a child, she loved to go down to the harbor. Something about all the busyness and all the new faces of foreigners coming into port, combined with the cool, gentle sea breeze excited and relaxed her all at once. Whenever she had the chance, she would go there just to people watch.

And one day, when Max was just nine years old, one of her usual trips down to the harbor would end up changing her life. Just how much, however, she wouldn’t end up realizing until much, much later.

The day had begun the same as every other day before it, just as average as usual. Max had sat herself close enough to the docks that she could still make out all the faces of the shipmen coming into town, while not in a position to find herself in the way. However, among the chatter of sailors and the wooden groans of boats, she was able to faintly make out the sound of music, some kind of strings. She had always been of the curious sort – although some might call her _nosy_ instead – so she found herself searching for the source, craning her head to see over the bustle of the midday work rush.

Managing to peek through a break in the crowd while standing on the tips of her toes, Max caught sight of a figure sitting by the edge of the dock with some kind of instrument in hand. She chewed her bottom lip nervously before opting to move in just a little closer; she couldn’t see all that well from the distance and really, what was the harm?

After squeezing through the crowd and getting a better vantage point, Max was able to see that the person was a boy that couldn’t have been much older than herself. He sat with his back against a barrel as he played his violin, bow playing across the strings in broad lazy strokes. She watched him for a while, a bit envious; she had always admired the ability to play an instrument. She daydreamed for a moment a life where _she_ knew how to play a violin, only to find that when she broke out of her reverie that the boy had paused his playing and was now looking straight at her.

Now feeling embarrassed for staring, Max tried to turn her gaze away, but the boy simply grinned at her and waved to catch her attention again. She slowly glanced at him shyly, and his grin widened. She gave him a small smile in return, and he responded by waving her over. Max hesitated, knowing her parents wouldn’t approve of her talking to a stranger, but the boy must have picked up on her reluctance, as his smile fell slightly and he tilted his head to the side.

Max couldn’t help but giggle as she noted how much he looked like a puppy. He must have taken her laughter positively, as he perked up and tried waving her over again, a bit more subtly this time. She paused, but only for a moment this time, deciding that the boy probably meant no harm and her parents wouldn’t find out if she just talked to him once.

As she approached, Max took note that the boy definitely must have come into port with one of the cargo ships, judging by his attire; he wore a large, slightly oversized cotton shirt that hung off of his slim frame loosely, along with leather trousers and boots scuffed from use and wear, with a bandana wrapped around his head to keep his (surprisingly long for a boy) blond locks tied back out of his face. On top of that, his cheeks had a mix of color to them, tan and red, presumably from working in sun all day. His smile spread as she came closer, revealing a gap in his teeth. “Mornin’, miss.”

Max suddenly felt warmth rising to her cheeks in surprise at the sound of his voice. _Oh_. This boy was a _girl_.

He – _she_ either didn’t notice Max’s embarrassment or just chose to ignore it, as she simply continued talking, unperturbed. She tucked the bow of her violin under the crook of her arm and held a hand out lazily. “Name’s Chloe. Chloe Wilde. What’s yours?”

Max looked at the offered hand uncertainly as she answered, “Oh, my name is Maxine.” She carefully took the hand in her own, not wanting to seem rude for a first impression. “It’s nice to meet you.” She hadn’t been expecting this Chloe girl to pull her hand forward and lean down to gently kiss her knuckles, and Max stiffened a bit, feeling a bit of heat in the tips of her ears.

Chloe looked up and grinned lopsidedly as she released Max’s hand, casually returning to her previous position of leaning against cargo. “Boss says that’s how a gentleman’s s’posed t’ treat a lady when you first meet ‘er.” She shrugged offhandedly like this was something she did all the time, and Max couldn’t bring herself to point out that Chloe wasn’t a gentle _man_.

Instead, the first thing she blurted out in response just so she wouldn’t be standing there stupidly was, “Y-your boss?”

Thankfully, the other girl didn’t snicker at how she stuttered or how odd she must have sounded. To the contrary, she hadn’t even seemed to notice as her blue eyes brightened in excitement. She drew the bow of her violin like a sword as she sat upright and twisted, using it to point to one of the many boats moored at the dock. Max noticed the way she poked her tongue out slightly through the gap in her teeth and found herself smiling at how cute she seemed when she was enthusiastic.

“Yep! Cap’n of the _Jonah’s Whale_!” Chloe announced proudly with a flourish of her bow. Max followed the line of sight to a large ship docked, a whale carved into the wood siding painted a faded blue. “She’s one ‘a the biggest ships t’ sail the seas!” She turned back with a wide smile on her face, adding, “I work as their cabin boy.”

Max couldn’t claim to know much about the chain of command on a ship, but she knew enough to be aware that cabin boy wasn’t exactly a position to be proud of. Yet Chloe seemed so excited about her job that Max figured it would be polite to ask more. “So that means that you get to sail all over the sea then? That must be amazing!”

Apparently that had been the right thing to say, as Chloe lit up and nodded rapidly. “Oh, yeah, ‘course! I’ve seen all kinda neat places and ports workin’ on the _Whale_! Even been all the way across to the other side of the sea!” She settled back against the barrel, arms folded across her chest with confident contentment.

Max had to admit, she was a little jealous. The idea of traveling had always appealed to her, and she often dreamed of seeing all the different, beautiful far off places the world had to offer. Chloe was very lucky. “Is that where you’re from?” Max asked innocently, not meaning anything by it but to ask a question. “From the other side of the sea?”

However, maybe that hadn’t been a good thing to ask, because afterwards, Chloe’s smile fell slightly and she drew her shoulders up. “Uh, yeah, I mean…” she paused to scratch the back of her head, knocking her bandana askew by an inch to the side, “I am, but I don’t ‘member much from before I joined the crew...” She tried to play it off with a smile, but it lacked all the mirth she had previously.

Max tried to backpedal, not wanting to already upset her new – were they friends? Max would’ve liked to be. Instead, she brought the conversation to what had caught her attention to begin with. “I really like your violin. You play very well.”

Chloe didn’t respond immediately, blinking in confusion before looking down at the instrument that sat beside her. Max fidgeted with her hands for a moment, thinking that perhaps she might have said something wrong again, but then Chloe grinned with a laugh that made Max’s heart skip a beat.

“Nah, this ain’t a violin, silly! ‘S a fiddle!” She took her instrument in both hands, still laughing a bit, but at least good naturedly rather than teasingly. Max didn’t know the difference between a violin and a fiddle, and she hadn’t even known there _was_ one, to be honest, but Chloe seemed very self assured in the fact. “But thanks, all the same. I ‘preciate it.”

“Where did you learn to play?” Max questioned, both because the topic seemed please Chloe more than the topic of her home had, and because she was genuinely curious. She always had loved music.

Chloe snorted like she had just remembered a particularly bad joke and responded by pointing a thumb over her shoulder towards her captain’s ship. Then, she elaborated, “One a’ the older boys on ship, a deck hand, taught me.” She leaned in forward like she was sharing a secret, continuing with, “Said if I was gonna be half as annoyin’, I needed t’ be twice as entertainin’.”

“Oh…” Max went quiet for a brief moment before answering, “he doesn’t sound very nice.”

That sent Chloe laughing uproariously, and she shook her head, bandana falling loose as she held her side with one hand, the other placed firmly on her knee. “No, no, he’s not, not really!” She managed to choke out between laughs. Max found herself smiling too. It took Chloe a few moments to finally settle down, but once she did, she added, “He’s not the greatest boy I’ve ever met, but I s’pose he ain’t the worst, either. Li’l rough ‘round the edges, but alright enough when you get to know ‘im.”

Max was about to ask what the boy’s name was, but before she could, a man’s voice cut over the idle chatter of the harbor, loud and commanding. “ _Cole!_ Quit yer slackin’ an’ get yer ass over here, _now!_ ”

Chloe flinched and glanced back, shoulders drew up tight. “Aw, man…that’s my boss. Pro’lly needs help unloadin’ cargo, ‘r somethin’.” She turned back to Max, offering an apologetic smile. “I gotta go, else I’ll get an earful and couple a’ lashes.”

“Oh…” Max said, not doing a very good job of hiding her disappointment. However, she was curious. “…But why did he call you Cole?”

Chloe scoffed and kicked at the ground with the toe of her boot. “Cap’n says they gotta call me that if I’m gonna work on a ship. Says it’s ‘cuz girls aren’t allowed t’ work as crew members.” She rolled her eyes and shrugged loosely. “…I say it’s a stupid rule, but...”

She trailed off and before she could finish gathering her thoughts, the same man shouted out again. “ _Wilde!_ I ain’t gonna call ye again!”

“Listen, I really gotta go.” Chloe told her hurriedly, gathering up her violi – _fiddle_ and bow. She stopped and then turned on her heel, grinning brightly. “But hey, we’re s’posed t’ be in port for the next three days, so…I mean, if you want, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Max nodded eagerly without even having to think about it. “Oh, yes, I’d like that!”

“Great! I’ll see you then!” Chloe replied before running off to her ship, waving as she did, fiddle tucked under one arm. Max watched her go, smiling widely and suddenly, she found herself unable to wait for tomorrow’s trip to the harbor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, if you're wondering what the difference between a violin and a fiddle is, there isn't one, not really. Violins are just associated with classical compositions, while fiddles are associated with folk music.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Max’s typical casual strolling pace that she usually used had been increased to a much faster run as she made her way to the harbor, having to bunch up the sides of her dress to make sure that she didn’t fall in her rush. While she and Chloe hadn’t exactly set up a time to meet up again, she assumed the time they had met the day before would suffice. However, she had completely forgotten to mention the fact that she had classes to Chloe. Now, she had just been let out for the day and was hurrying as fast as she could, hoping that she hadn’t already missed her.

When Max arrived, she was red in the face and out of breath, scanning the faces in the crowd for any sign of her new friend. She was just about to lament the fact that she had been too late when she noticed a familiar figure sitting by the edge of the dock, one leg dangled off the wooden planks, looking almost a bit lost. Max felt the heaviness in her heart lift as she brushed through the crowd excitedly.

Chloe must have seen her coming from the corner of her eye because as Max approached, her expression almost immediately shifted from that of a far off, forlorn one, to one of over-eagerness. “Maxine!” She swung her leg around and leapt up to her feet, before looking a bit sheepish. “I, uh…thought you might’ve forgot, or…” Chloe trailed off and shrugged, chuckling awkwardly.

 “Oh...” Max’s smile fell slightly at the sound of her name. She had forgotten that she told Chloe that, but tried to shake it off and hide it the best she could. “No, no, of course not, I’m sorry that I made you wait.”

She must not have done a good enough job at masking her discomfort, however, because now Chloe’s smile had fell as well, staring at her in concern. “Hey, are you alright? Did I say somethin’? Listen, if it’s ‘bout me waitin’, y’ don’t need to worry ‘bout that! I wasn’t even waitin’ that long, honest!”

Max shook her head, eyes wide. “Oh, no! You didn’t do anything!” After all, there was no way Chloe could have known without Max saying anything. But… “Chloe, could I…tell you a secret?”

“Yeah, ‘course.” Chloe’s voice was soft now, like she was scared to misstep. Maybe she was still under the impression that she upset Max with her insinuation, even after Max had sworn she hadn’t. “Anythin’. Promise I won’t tell.”

“I don’t…” Max suddenly felt very small as she stumbled through her words, “really _like_ my name that much.” She toyed with the fabric of her dress, staring at the ground and sure that she must have sounded silly. “I don’t like the way it sounds, but…if I told my parents, I might upset them.”

Chloe hadn’t interrupted her, but now she still hadn’t said anything. Max felt her face and ears heat up. Yes, of _course_ , she had sounded silly, getting worked up over something as small as her name. She chanced a look up at Chloe, fully expecting her to be teasing. She hadn’t expected her to be smiling earnestly. “Izzat all? Why didn’t y’ tell me earlier?”

Max didn’t register her reaction immediately, blinking once before answering, “You…you don’t think that it’s dumb?”

Chloe laughed and shook her head. “Naw, why would I? I don’t like the name _Cole_ , but I can’t do much ‘bout that.” Then, she brought a hand up to her chin and gave Max a thoughtful once over. Max wanted to ask her what she the problem was, but just a moment later, Chloe had adopted her usual grin once again and announced, “So, I just won’t call you Maxine, then! Not a problem. How ‘bout just Max? Like that any better?”

A smile spread across Max’s face before she could stop it, the bridge of her nose and cheeks turning pink. “…I like it much better.” She admitted shyly.

“Just Max, it is, then!” Chloe replied, clapping Max playfully on the shoulder before laughing a little. “You actually had me a li’l worried there, though somethin’ was wrong!” Max noted that she did look a bit more cautious and perhaps vulnerable in a way, despite how she was smiling now. “After all, you showed up later than yesterday, an’ then you were actin’ kinda funny…” she looked a little bashful, scratching at her cheek, “almost assumed the worst.”

Max’s eyes opened a little wider as she realized she still hadn’t told Chloe the reason for her tardiness yet. “I’m sorry, Chloe, I forgot to tell you yesterday! I had my classes today, and I tried to get over here as fast as I could, but…” She clasped her hands behind her back, wringing them together out of nervous habit. “I’m sorry for making you wait.”

“Aw, c’mon, Max, y’ don’t need t’ apologize!” Chloe was still smiling, but her eyes were a little softer now. “I already told ya, I wasn’t really waitin’ _that_ long, don’t worry!” Then she sat herself back down in the spot she had been when Max first arrived, and patted the spot next to her, the wood making a hollow sounding _thump_ against her hand. Max took a seat carefully, making sure to smooth out the wrinkles in her dress after she bent down. Chloe held her hand out for Max to take, which she did gratefully. Part of her assumed that perhaps that was another one of Chloe’s tricks to being a gentleman, but she didn’t ask.

“So, classes?” Chloe asked curiously once the two of them were situated comfortably, watching the waves lap at the dock’s wooden supports. “Classes for what?”

Max gently kicked her legs back and forth in a rhythm, enjoying the cool feeling of the ocean breeze on her face. She giggled, “School classes, Chloe. You know…things like reading, and writing, and math.”

She thought that the idea of school had merely slipped Chloe’s mind, and that was why she had laughed, but instead of laugh along with her, Chloe only turned to look at her, wide eyed. “You can _read_?” She asked in disbelief, voice just slightly louder than a whisper, and Max was sure that if they weren’t sitting right next to each other, then she wouldn’t have heard her over the typical noise of the bustle of the harbor.

“You… _can’t_ read?” Max questioned, eyebrows knitted together. Now, she felt bad for laughing.

Chloe went silent, but just for a moment, then sputtering out, “Well, I, uh, I mean…” She looked down to her lap, gripping the lip of the dock, and Max caught the way Chloe’s face went slightly more red than usual. Then, she shrugged and motioned vaguely with one of her hands. “I can read _some_ stuff. Like, uh…I can read a compass. I can read a map. I can read sheet music.” With each example listed, she seemed to regain more of her confidence. By the time she had finished, she was sat up straight, grinning with casual pride. “Readin’s no issue for me. So what else d’ya do ‘round here, ‘sides classes?”

“Well…” Max started thoughtfully, “I like to come down here. There’s something about it, the people and the ships and the sea, all in one place…it’s nice.” She tilted her chin up just a bit, smiling as the sun warmed her cheeks.

Chloe, however, must not have shared her sentiments, as she just stared at her. “Really?” She turned her gaze out toward the ocean then, brow furrowed like she was thinking really hard about something. “Huh. I…guess I never really thought of it that way. After all, I get t’ see people and ships and the sea every day. But…” Now she was smiling as well, not her usual grin of confidence or enthusiasm, but a calmer, peaceful smile. She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I guess seein’ it all come together in one place is pretty neat.”

Max hummed softly and took in a deep breath. At times like this, she felt at peace, like she was in her own little world and everything else was just background noise that she could drown out. Only now, she had someone she was sharing it with. The idea of it still sounded a little strange; Max never really had many friends or anyone she was particularly close with besides her parents, but Chloe was different. She had been nothing but nice so far, and the air of casual self assurance that she carried with her made Max feel comfortable.

“Hey, Max?” Chloe spoke up after a long period of silence. When Max turned to look at her, she had a strange look on her face, mischievous yet thoughtful. “Y’ wanna grab somethin’ to eat?”

“Oh, um…” the suddenness of the question caught her off-guard, “what did you have in mind?”

Chloe, rather than answering her question directly, simply leapt up from her seat and took Max’s hand in hers. “‘S a surprise! C’mon, it’ll be fun!” Whatever she had planned, she was apparently already dead-set on it, and Max couldn’t find it in her to say no. However, something about Chloe’s enthusiasm was infectious, making Max giddy as well.

Max stood, and Chloe barely gave her any time to compose herself before tugging at her wrist like a much younger excited child. Max laughed and allowed Chloe to lead her away, figuring that any hesitance on her part would only be met with whines of protest. They got just far enough to be clear of the crowd of sailors and dock workers when Chloe stopped and spun on her heel.

Max hadn’t been expecting the sudden stop, and now she and Chloe were practically nose to nose. Chloe either didn’t mind or was just too caught up in her idea to care, but Max’s face flushed a light shade of pink. Thankfully, Chloe didn’t bring attention to it if she had noticed. “Alright,” she stated quite loudly, chest puffed out, “you wait here for a minute! I’ll be right back!” Before Max could question where she was going or what she had planned, Chloe was already off, calling over her shoulder, “Don’t worry, just wait _right there!_ ”

She was confused by Chloe’s sudden departure, but did as she was told and didn’t move from her spot, except to occasionally shift her balance from foot to foot. Just when she was starting to get concerned, a familiar shout caught her attention, and Chloe had returned, now with a small burlap sack slung over her shoulder. “What’s that?”

A proud grin spread across Chloe’s face as she brought the bag between them. She reached in and pulled out a large, shiny red apple, presenting it like it was a priceless treasure. “Got us some lunch offa one ‘a the guys unloadin’ cargo in port.”

Max frowned. “Isn’t that…stealing?”

But Chloe just laughed and shook her head as she placed the apple back in the bag with the others. “Naw, not so long as I pay ‘im back later with int’rest.”

“Interest?” Max questioned, curious and confused.

Chloe slung the bag over her shoulder once more and replied, “Yeah, it’s when y’ take somethin’ without payin’, but then y’ come back later and pay ‘em even more money than y’ owed.” She shrugged nonchalantly, the sack shifting behind her as she did. “One ‘a the deck hand boys taught me ‘bout it; ‘s all economics an’ finance.”

Well, she seemed sure enough on the subject, and she certainly sounded like she knew more about the topic than Max did, but still… “Are you sure that’s really okay?”

“Yeah, ‘course it is! No one’s ever gonna turn down a chance t’ make more money. ‘Specially not a sailor.” Chloe said with her attention turned toward the sky above the town. What she was actually looking for, Max couldn’t tell. Before she had a chance to ask, Chloe grinned at her. “Now c’mon, let’s get goin’!”

Apparently Chloe had put more thought into this lunch date than Max had originally assumed. “Going where?”

“You really wanna eat lunch ‘round a buncha big, sweaty sailors?” Chloe asked blandly with a hint of sarcasm. Max’s nose crinkled at the thought; when she put it that way, the idea of going back to the dock didn’t seem very appealing anymore. Chloe had already started off into town as she continued, Max following behind. “Cuz I sure don’t. I gotta put up with that enough all the time. That’s why we’re gonna find someplace where were we can make this lunch special. I mean, it’s our first lunch together! I think that’s pretty special.”

It was true, Max supposed, and she did find the idea that Chloe wanted to make their first day spending time together special thoughtful, although she wasn’t quite so sure why Chloe was so adamant on the subject. Still, she didn’t want to come off as ungrateful, so she didn’t question it out loud. However, she did ask, “Did you have somewhere in mind?”

They ended up stopping in the middle of a road leading into town as Chloe pondered the question. As she thought, her eyes were once again turned skyward, scanning the rooftops, it seemed, and her lip was curled up slightly, tip of her tongue once again poked out between the gap in her teeth. Then, a realization must have dawned on her, as her eyes lit up and her face broke out into a grin. Turning her head back to Max, she whispered, “Do you guys got a tavern in town?”

At that, Max’s eyes widened and she began shaking her head rapidly. “Chloe, we can’t go to the _tavern_ ; we’re not allowed!” Her voice was hushed, but still a bit frantic. She chewed at her bottom lip, imagining how much trouble she would be in if she was caught at the tavern. Her parents would be _furious_. She was willing to go along with all this before, but that was where she drew the line.

Chloe just stared for a moment with her brow furrowed before replying, “No, no, we’re not goin’ _in_ to the tavern, Max! If we weren’t gonna eat ‘round a buncha _sweaty_ sailors, why would I want us t’ eat ‘round a buncha _drunk_ ones?” She shook her head in disgust at the idea. “No, I just gotta know where it _is_.”

“Why?” Max asked, still slightly wary that this excursion might end with her parents punishing her.

Chloe avoided the question, breaking off eye contact and scratching at the nape of her neck, only answering, “If I told ya that part, it’d ruin the surprise.” Noticing that Max still wasn’t fully convinced, she hastily added, “Listen, it’ll all make sense when we get there, I promise! Just…just trust me, okay?”

Her eyes shined with a sort of worry and desperation, and Max hesitated. She felt a little bad, because Chloe had seemed so excited and eager and overall _happy_ about her plan before. And, if she was completely honest, Max really _did_ want to trust Chloe. “…Okay.”

Chloe took a minute to register the statement, but once she did, her she brightened again. However, this time, her enthusiasm was muted and subdued, like she was talking to a skittish animal that she didn’t want to scare off. “Great...so y’ got a tavern, then?”

Max led the two of them towards the local bar, and once it was in sight, Chloe pulled ahead of her, staring up at the sign that hung above the door and grinning victoriously. “Max, this is perfect!” Whatever it was that she had planned, she seemed very pleased that everything was falling into place.

Max, on the other hand, was still a bit hesitant. Yes, she said that she had trusted Chloe, and she had meant it, but she was still concerned about the off chance someone might recognize her, or worse, her parents would see her. “Now can you tell me what we’re doing here?” She winced just slightly at the sound of her own voice, not intending to come off as that whiny or impatient.

It didn’t damper Chloe’s mood at all, however. She turned with that same mischievous yet excited glint in her eye that she had when she first suggested this little adventure, and replied, “I can do ya one even better.” Then she reached out and took Max’s hand, squeezing gently. “I can show ya.”

Chloe did a quick check to see if the coast was clear, and once she was sure that no one was watching, she carefully tugged Max around the corner into the back alley behind the tavern. Now Max was even less sure what Chloe had planned; all that was back here were some large old crates and a few empty barrels. It definitely didn’t seem like much of a step up from the dock, sweaty sailors aside. She would’ve asked again, but she was sure that she had done enough questioning so far. She had already said that she trusted Chloe, and asking again might have been taken as doubt.

Chloe, however, seemed _very_ excited about crates. “Yeah…yeah, this should be enough! Should be jus’ enough!” She shifted the bag of apples a bit, and then began pushing one of the wooden boxes with her shoulder. “They have these at ev’ry tavern in ev’ry port, y’know!” She announced conversationally between shoves. “They reuse these things, but keep ‘em stored outside in th’ back when they ain’t using ‘em!” Max wasn’t exactly sure she wanted to know how Chloe knew that. She understood that she worked as cabin boy for a cargo ship, but did she really end up frequenting taverns at every port?

Then again, she supposed that Chloe did have a point earlier; they weren’t _in_ the tavern…

Chloe pushed the box all the way until it was up against the wall of the building across the alleyway from the tavern, after which she heaved a sigh. “Alright, that’s one a’ ‘em.” She nodded her head like she was pleased with herself, and then made to move for another box.

“Do you need any help?” Max asked suddenly. Watching Chloe do all the work while she herself did nothing just didn’t seem fair. She may not have quite understood why they were pushing boxes around, but she was at least willing to lend a hand.

Stopping mid-shove of the second box, Chloe glanced in her direction for a moment. “What? Nah, ‘course not! This trip’s my treat, wouldn’t be right makin’ you work for it.” She waved Max off, propping her elbow up on the top of the crate. “‘Sides, movin’ boxes is part ‘a my job. Boss makes me load an’ unload cargo all th’ time. Compared t’ that, this is no problem; ‘least these boxes ‘re empty.”

Chloe’s job or not, Max still didn’t think it was fair, and there was no boss standing over Chloe’s shoulder barking that these crates had to be moved now. Rather than ask again, Max simply moved to Chloe’s side and put her palms flat up against the face of the box. Chloe stared at her, jaw slack in confusion. “Wha – Max, I already said–”

Max cut her off. “I want to help. You shouldn’t have to do everything yourself.”

Chloe’s mouth snapped shut, and for while she just stared at Max, but then she shook her head and shrugged halfheartedly. “Alright, ‘f y’ say so…” She trailed off, positioning herself to move the box again before going on, “I mean, ‘f someone told me,” – she pitched her voice a little lower and started speaking in a grumble, “ _nah, Wilde, I’ll handle this shipment; y’ can take th’ rest a’ th’ day off_ , I wouldn’t be complainin’.”

Max laughed at Chloe’s admittedly pretty good gruff sailor impression, to which Chloe beamed in appreciation. Together, they moved the next few boxes to Chloe’s instruction, after which she took a step back to observe their work. Max rubbed her hands carefully down the front of her dress, trying not to let on just how much her palms and arms hurt. She hadn’t been expecting it to leave her feeling this sore, but despite that, she didn’t regret assisting Chloe. Like she had said before, it was only fair.

The only signs that Chloe showed that hinted at her possibly being tired were how she removed her bandana and wiped the sweat off of her brow, and the fact that her cheeks were a bit more colored red than normal. Despite that, it didn’t seem to dampen her spirits much and she flashed Max a wide smile before replacing her bandana on her head, albeit crookedly . “Alright, almost there.”

“Almost where?” Max started to say, but the question died on her tongue as she watched Chloe hoist herself up on top of one of the boxes. Now the question she wanted to ask was completely different. “What are you doing?”

Chloe’s means of answering was only to wave her over encouragingly. “C’mon, I’ll help y’ up.” When Max stayed rooted to her spot and watched Chloe uncertainly, she added, “Don’t worry, these boxes ain’t _that_ old. They’re strong enough t’ hold, no wood rot yet.”

Max shuffled her feet awkwardly, shoes scuffing against the cobblestone. “…What if I fall?” Max, admittedly, had never been the most graceful child, and she was more than a bit clumsy. Her fear of falling was by no means unfounded.

But Chloe just shook her head. “Now what kind ‘a friend would I be ‘f I let that happen?” She grinned, and Max felt a warmth bloom in her belly that rose up to her chest. Something about just hearing Chloe use the word _friend_ made her feel incredibly happy and light. Chloe held out her hand for Max to take, and this time Max did without hesitation.

True to her word, Chloe made sure that Max was in no danger of falling. She held her hand the entire time, and on the two occasions where Max’s foot slipped, Chloe had been sure to catch and brace her before she tumbled. She had been only slightly embarrassed when it had happened; she was more so grateful that Chloe was kind enough not to laugh.

“Alright, an’... _up_ ya go!” With one final lift, Chloe helped Max onto the rooftop. Max was a little bit concerned – she had never been great with heights – but she just opted to squeeze Chloe’s hand a little tighter. Speaking of Chloe, she had gotten quiet and gone still, staring off into the distance. Max was about to ask what the problem was when Chloe spoke, a bit breathlessly. “…An’ here we are.”

Max turned to try and find what had Chloe so captivated, and then she gasped, all of her concerns about heights and getting caught by her parents vanishing in that moment.

The view was _beautiful_. From on top of the roofs, one could see the entire harbor, with the ships and the sailors looking like toys. The sea stretched out across the horizon, with the sunlight reflecting off of the waves, giving the ocean a much warmer blue color than it had up close. Max had been so lost in the moment that she almost forgot about Chloe’s presence, until the girl asked, quieter than Max had ever heard yet, “…D’ya like it?”

“Chloe…” Max was at a loss for words. She gaped, probably looking like a fish, before finally saying, “This is… _amazing_.”

Chloe turned her head to the side, shoulders drawn up and cheeks pink. She smiled and laughed softly before replying, “I just figured…I mean…” It took her a little while of stumbling over her words before she managed to work out what it was she wanted to say. “…Y’ said y’ liked seein’ th’ boats, an’ th’ people, an’ th’ sea all in one place. Just…thought y’ might like t’ see it all from a diff’rent point a’ view.”

Max did like it. She liked it very much. “Thank you so much, Chloe.”

“Aw, y’ don’t gotta thank me. I didn’t do much.” Chloe replied bashfully, and Max found it funny how embarrassed she got when taking compliments. “I didn’t…make th’ sun shine, or th’ view all pretty. I just…brought us here.”

“Then, thank you for that.” Max answered.

Chloe must have reached her limits on compliments at that point, because she snorted and said, “Anyways, what’re we just standin’ ‘round for? I’m starvin’.” She swung the sack from over her shoulder, pulled out an apple, and polished it on her sleeve before holding it out for Max to take. “Ladies first.”

They took their seats on the edge of the rooftop, bag sitting between them as they ate and watched the sun glisten off of the ocean. Max wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, but by the time they left, sliding off the roof shingles to their crate staircase and then heading back to the harbor hand in hand, she felt light and breathless, but most of all, very, very happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, okay, this was wayyyy longer than intended. Um...oops? Don't expect this to be the standard length of all upcoming chapters, guys, I just got a little carried away. Sorry if I got your hopes up.


End file.
